Music-desk



(No Model.)

W. A. LORENZ.

. MUSIODESKP Patented May 17, 1892.

Fig. i

Witnesses:

Q Inv'nhfor:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM A. LORENZ, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

MUSIC-DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,126, dated May 17, 1892.

Application filed February 11, 1892. Serial No. 421,116. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, W LLIAM A. LORENZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Music-Desk, of which the followingis aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in music-desks, having a novel base-piece upon which the music rests; and the object of my improvement is to make a desk from which the music will not slide off and which shall hold one or more of the leaves of the music partly open in order that the leaves may be quickly turned by the player. I attain these objects as shown in the accompanying draw ings, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are a front and a side view, respectively, of the front part of an upright piano, showing the improved musicdesk. Fig.- 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the bottom of the desk shown in Fig. 1 on line a b. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of music-stand, showing a modification of the improved desk. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the bottom of the desk shown in Fig. at, taken on the line 0 d. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the piano shown in Figs. 1 and 2, showing a piece of music held open by the improved base-piece of the music-desk.

The invention consists of a music-desk 1, having its base-piece 2 covered with elastic projections, as shown at 3. These projections may be made of rubber points, fine bristles, woolen projections, or of other fibrous material, and the projections may be of irregular or various lengths and may be fastened to the desk by glue or other means. They may be used over the whole of the desk-bottom or only partly over the bottom, as shown at 3 3 in Figs. 4 and 5. To attain the most desirable results, these projections should have a length sufficient to allow the leaves of the music to embed themselves in them. This length may flexible material, and I prefer to use therefor a wool plush with bristles of about one-eighth of an inch in length. This material is elastic and recovers its upright position readily and is practically noiseless when the leaves are turned over. When bound books are used, the covers of the books embed themselves in the elastic projections and permit the leaves to rest in the projections, and thus prevent them from turning over of their own accord when the book is stiffly bound. This is a very great convenience. Unbound sheet music is held from slipping off the desk, as the leaves catch easily in the elastic projections.

-A further advantage is gained in the case where the player himself desires to turn the leaves of the piece he is performing. The piece of music may be arranged beforehand as shown in Fig. '6, where the leaf 4is opened and caught by the elastic projections at 5, the leaf 6 is caught at 7, and the leaf 8 rests against the desk 1 and is held back by the elastic projections 3. By thus opening the leaves they can be successively seized very quickly and turned very rapidly, and a distinct advantage is thereby gained.

This desk improvement can be applied to any style of piano or other music-desk.

The advantages of this desk cannot be gained by simply covering the base-piece 2 with a smooth cloth whose surface is slippery, and such covering I do not claim; butany arrangement of fibrous elastic coveringin which the music-leaves can embed themselves would embody the advantages of my invention.

Vhat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The base-piece of a music-desk, having elastic projections thereon, between which the several leaves of the music can independently embed themselves, substantially as described.

WILLIAM A. LORENZ.

Witnesses:

EDWARD E. OLAUssEN, WILLIAM H. HONISS. 

